Sister

The young Swedish metal band In Solitude's darkness is alluring and seductive, not esoteric and obtuse. On their third album, they move away from emulating Mercyful Fate and show an increased interest in NWOBHM, early 80s speed metal, and even deathrock.

When listeners discuss Sweden's In Solitude, comparisons to Mercyful Fate come up more often than not. (See, also, the less intersting Ghost B.C.) Metal orthodoxy places reverence of “gods” above innovation, but it's not difficult to see how the quintet are viewed as a tribute to what some still consider King Diamond's finest group. Guitarists Niklas Lindström and Henrik Palm are beholden to the inverted melodicism Hank Shermann and Michael Denner displayed on Mercyful Fate's two most revered albums, 1983's Melissa and 1984's Don't Break The Oath. In Soltiude are heavy metal where, much like the Danes they're compared to, the darkness is alluring and seductive, not esoteric and obtuse.

There is one crucial difference between the two, though: In Solitude's Pelle Åhman is nowhere near as flamboyant, vocally and visually, as King Diamond. Few in metal, or any genre, are—had Freddie Mercury embraced the occult in the 80s, he would have conceivably been a viable rival. Still, the comparisons must have gotten to the band. Sister, their third album, is a marked attempt to stray away from being pegged as “Mercyful Fate worship.” But they haven't watered down their sound, and Sister is a mostly successful album.

In Solitude are allies of black metallers Watain: they've toured the States with them, will do so again soon, and are both looking to broaden their fanbase. Erik Danielsson, Watain's leader and mouthpiece, has praised the band before, saying of Sister, with his own brand of arrogance: “They’re releasing an album later this year that’s going to be… I don’t want to say 'album of the year' because that’s going to be ours....” While Watain's The Wild Hunt was a deliberate attempt to appeal to a wider audience, Sister is better equipped for that task, mainly because In Solitude were already trading in a more accessible sound. “A Buried Sun” has a slight blues edge that's alien in most metal, but quite reminiscent of Danzig. (Looks like covering Samhain's “Mother of Mercy” for Decibel's flexi series last year is paying dividends.) More than any other song on the record, it's a showcase for why Åhman doesn't need to be as over-the-top as Diamond. It soars, but remains close to the earth. Åhman's more about “come hither” than “Come to the Sabbath”, mixing in a crooning approach to his singing.

If a Swedish retro-rock group like Graveyard or Witchcraft passed on “Lavender”, it was wise for In Solitude to pick it up. While it's a jaunty romp like anything those groups would do, In Solitude make it sinister and “metal,” complete with an ominous piano ending. Elsewhere, “Pallid Hands” brings a romanticism that hasn't been seen in metal in a while, and is the group's finest song to date. It recalls 70s Judas Priest's more bittersweet moments, a casualty of the group's success in the 80s, or a more serious stab at April Wine's “Sign of the Gypsy Queen”. In Solitude are a young band—Palm is the oldest member at 26—and for them to craft a song filled with weariness and whiskey-afflicted love is a stroke of “Old Man”-like brilliance. You know Lindström and Palm are thinking about someone when playing that intro, it's so natural in their expression. Overall, on Sister, the songwriting feels more influenced by NWOBHM and early 80s speed metal, rather than just Mercyful Fate. In Solitude sound like young men who've been on the hunt for Heavy Load and Oz albums on vinyl, going to every record store within driving distance, and when they've found the gems, they feel so alive.

Sister is shorter than its predecessor The World. The Flesh. The Devil, but suffers from the same fate: the disappointing, overlong ending. “Inmost Nigredo” clocks in at just over eight minutes, as opposed to the nearly 14 minutes of “On Burning Paths”, but it still languishes without bombast. This is an unfortunate betrayal of their songwriting prowess, which the album thrives on. Whereas they were able to use a slow burn build-up to their advantage on “Sun”, “Inmost” just drags without focus. They haven't found their “Melissa”, their fulfilling send-off. Had they, Sister would be a contender for one of the best metal albums this year.